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DOT updates Real ID deadline, CDL testing expansion and digital license plans
Summary
Deputy Director Robin Reberg told the committee the Real ID deadline is May 7, 2025, the department added six CDL test sites last year and is piloting a digital driver license for rollout in fall 2025.
At the Senate Appropriations - Government Operations Division hearing, Deputy Director for Driver Safety Robin Reberg summarized customer-facing DOT services, including Real ID implementation, newly added commercial driver license (CDL) test sites and a digital ID pilot.
The details matter for residents who drive or need federally compliant identification. "If you have a gold star in the upper right hand corner, you have Real ID," Reberg said while explaining documentation requirements and the May 7, 2025 deadline for using Real ID to board commercial flights or access specified federal facilities.
Reberg told legislators the DOT now operates six newly approved CDL full-service sites (Valley City, Wahpeton, Lisbon, Grafton, Watford City and Rolla) in addition to eight full-time and 11 part-time CDL locations; part-time sites are served by staff who travel from the full-time locations. She said the department added the six sites in April 2024 and expected higher spring demand tied to seasonal hiring.
On customer service, Reberg said the DOT uses an appointment system, an online application that 30% of customers complete before arrival and 52 kiosks located across the state (kiosk map available in the DOT packet). She said a contracted North Dakota call center handles most phone traffic; the center answers roughly 6,000 calls per week (about 60% driver's license related, 40% motor vehicle related).
Reberg also said the department kicked off a digital license project in 2024, with vendor contracts in place and a planned fall 2025 deployment with three wallet vendors. She reported improved service metrics: a 94% "happy" rating on the DOT's customer feedback system and an average in-office wait time of about eight minutes; she also said the driver's license division budget for the biennium is about $15,000,000 with projected revenue of $8–9 million.
Committee members asked for fee lists and contractor fee schedules for branch offices; Reberg said she would provide a list of contractor fees and the DOT's fee schedule included in the hearing packet. The committee did not take formal action on fee changes during the hearing.
